Results from week to week often shift dramatically, forcing onlookers to keep in mind the context of a 17-week season rather than jumping to conclusions on the basis of an individual game.

49ers quarterback Brian Hoyer is proof. He was far from perfect in Thursday night’s loss to the Rams, but he was dramatically better than the first two weeks against the Panthers and Seahawks.

Hoyer against Los Angeles threw for 332 yards after combining for 292 over the first two weeks. He ran for a touchdown, the team’s first of the season, and threw for two more to keep San Francisco in the game until the final two minutes.

And he made explosive throws downfield logging his two longest completions of the year to Pierre Garçon (59 yards) and Marquise Goodwin (50 yards). The pendulum swung the other way.

Play-action was a far more effective tool. Hoyer completed 8-of-9 for 152 yards, including both touchdown passes, good for a perfect 158.3 passer rating when using run fakes. He was 8-of-11 on throws 10 or more yards down field after entering the week 2-for-13, according to Pro Football Focus.

However, Hoyer’s night got off a disastrous start. He threw an interception on the first play of the game that set the Rams up at San Francisco’s 3-yard line. Todd Gurley scored a touchdown on the next play from scrimmage, putting the 49ers in a 7-point hole before losing by just two, 41-39.

“The guy made a good play. He guessed right,” Hoyer said of the pick to open the game. “We’re thinking with Marquise (Goodwin) going over there, the speed that he has, the guy’s going to back way off. He just decided to sit on it so you chalk it up the guy making a good play. Making a good guess. I think that’s also why we knew we were going to be able to throw it deep later because they were squatting on a lot of stuff. You chalk it up. You move on, and go play the rest of the game.”

The 49ers knew they weren’t getting an elite quarterback that would carry a young, rebuilt roster to the playoffs when they signed Hoyer to a two-year, $12-million deal in the spring. What Kyle Shanahan needed in his first season was a signal caller that could capably run his offense to set the foundation and keep the team competitive. San Francisco lost by six points combined over the last two weeks.

Hoyer isn’t going to throw for 300 yards every game. He’s not always going to be as bad as he was against the Panthers and Seahawks, either. His performances will vary. And the 49ers hope they can pair some better defensive play, like they had in Seattle, with Hoyer’s good outings to come away with wins as the season progresses.

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